Match pack



Feb. 23, 1943. D. H. WARNER MATCH PACK Filed Sept; 26, 1939 d mg m F n I5 dd 1 F 4 ad 1 F .D aviof H Warner:

Patented Feb. 23, 1943 parse stars raisererr-wt My invention relates tomatch packs and has for its object to provide a match pack wherein theigniting ends are permanently retained within'the enclosing pack strip,and means are provided for readily removing the matches from saidenclosing pack strip.

It is common practice for matches to be vended and used in what is knownas a pack, wherein the match shanks are formed of some sustaining andslowly inflammable material such as strips of cardboard impregnated withinflammable material and the match heads areformed of a chemical adaptedto ignite when frictionally rubbed on a chemically impregnated strip,which when so rubbed sets up the conditions to effect ignition. Asordinarily prepared these match packs are adapted to have the enclosingstrip pulled out to open up the entire group of matches, and when thematch is struck and ignited sparks may and do fly to the other matches,igniting the entire pack and causing serious burns.

It is the particular object of my invention to provide a simple andefficient match pack wherein the heads are at all times protected sothat no matter how the ignition sparks may fiy they cannot reach theunignited heads of the match pack and this frequently very seriousaccident cannot take place.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a match pack whereinthe heads of the matches in single or multiple rows are entirelyenclosed within the pack strip, which has its ends secured at the basesof the matches and a loop of the strip permanently formed about and overthe igniting heads of the matches, together with means to permitreaching the base of the match shanks, so that the same may be separatedfrom the pack and the matches withdrawn laterally from the pack.

It is a further object of my invention in carrying out the above-namedpurposes to provide a match pack of the type wherein the ends of thepack strip are permanently secured and the ignition heads of the matchesare held closed within the loop of the match strip, and to provide atthe base of the match strip means for opening up said base whereby thematches may be successively removed through the open sides of the matchpack without exposing the heads of the matches still held in the pack.

The full objects and advantages of my invention will appear inconnection with the detailed description thereof and the novel featuresof my invention whereby the important advantageous results abovedefined-are obtained are particularly pointed out'in the claims.

In the drawing, illustrating an application of my invention in one-form'Fig. 1 isa View of a match pack with the matches enclosed thereinshowingthe manneriin which the heads are enclosed and protectedand howsuccessive strips of the casing are" provided adapted to be removedsuccessively" to permit the matches to be withdrawn laterally, thesestrips extending half-way acrossthe package.

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig.1 sh ow ingthe reverse side with slitsand strips similarly arr ng ig. *3 is a sectionalviewtaken on line 3-3of Fig. 4 is a view of a modified form showing slits and removablestrips all the way across one side of the match pack with some stripsand matches removed.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing the manner of removal of amatch.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 66 of Fig. 4.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6, the pack comprisesthe customary group of strip match shanks H) with match heads ll of achemical substance adapted to ignite when frictionally engaged with afriction surface of another suitable chemical substance. The package ofmatches ID, as is customary, are shown in double rows, about which isbent a pack strip [2 forming a loop l3 surrounding the heads, as clearlyshown. The strip I2 is formed with a multiplicity of slits I4 extendinghalf-way across the strip on opposite sides, as clearly shown in Figs. 1and 2, and extending all the way across on one side, as shown in Figs. 4and 5. Or the slits may extend all the way across on both sides ifdesired, These slits are toward the ends of the strips which are boundtogether by staples I5. The customary layer of friction paste '6 is laid'on one surface where the ends of the pack strips are bound together,and a similar layer of friction paste 11, may if desired, be placed onthe opposite side, as indicated in Figs. 1 to 3. The slits l4 provide amultiplicity of intervening strips I8 which are shown in Figs. 1 and 2as being formed from the center outwardly on opposite sides of the packstrip. It will be apparent that by inserting the thumb nail in a slit 14the corresponding strip 18 may be removed, as indicated at IQ of Fig. 4.When a strip has been removed shanks ll] of matches under that stripwill be exposed and the match can be pulled out edgewise from theadjacent open sides of the match pack as indicated at 20 of Fig. l. and2| of Fig. 5. It will be obvious that all matches under the openingthrough the pack casing I2 formed by the removal of strip I8, will beremoved before a succeeding strip I8 is taken out, and this is truewhether the half-way sets of strips of Figs. 1 and 2, or the full lengthset of strips of Fig. 5, are employed.

Ignition layers l6 and. ll of friction paste may, if desired, be placedon both sides of the pack. In this form of my invention, the heads ofunused matches are thus protected from possibility of being ignited bysparks or by being ignited at any time excepting when withdrawn.

The advantages of my invention will be apparent from the foregoingspecification. The manufacture of match packs embodying my inventionwill be no more expensive than the man ufacture of match packs as atpresent on the market. Yet there is produced a match pack in which theigniting heads of the matches are always surrounded by the pack strip,protected from contact with outside objects, and screened from flyingsparks when a match is scratched upon the igniting strip and is therebyignited. At the same time therefore, there is .protection of the headsand other objects outside of the match pack from contact and preventionof the serious accidents which might otherwise happen, and frequently dohappen, with the form of match packs generally in use, of igniting themass of match heads and causing serious burns to the one who holds thepack.

I claim:

1. A match pack comprising a body of matches held with the ends of theshanks secured and the heads free, a pack strip secured permanently atboth ends upon said shanks so as to permanently enclose the heads of thematches while the match pack is open at both sides of said matches, aseries of slits in a wall of said pack strip close to the point ofsecuring said walls together spaced apart the thickness of the matchesunderneath and severally overlying the match shanks beneath, said slitsforming short strips which may be removed by insertion of a thumb-nailin the slit to expose the shank of a match so as to enable thethumb-nail to be applied thereto, whereby the match shank may be brokensidewise at the point where held and removed laterally from one of saidopen sides.

2. A match pack comprising a body of matches held with the ends of theshanks secured and the heads free, a pack strip secured permanently atboth ends upon said shanks so as to permanently enclose the heads of thematches while the match pack is open at both sides of said matches, aseries of slits in the opposite walls of the said pack strip close tothe point of securing said matches together, spaced apart the thicknessof the matches underneath and severally overlying the match shanksbeneath, said slits being formed to the center of the match pack fromopposite edges thereof and forming short strips which may be removed bya thumb nail in the slit to expose the shank of the match so as toenable the thumb nail to be applied thereto. whereby, by successiveremoval of said short strips, all the match shanks in the pack maysuccessively be broken sidewise at the points where held and removedlaterally from one of said open sides.

DAVID H. WARNER.

